Hey there! It’s Thursday, and today reminds me of the time my colleagues and I peer pressured our temporary boss into buying us margaritas on a sunny summer day. Employee of the month, folks. Anyway, here’s what you need to know.

1. Richard Irvin, a GOP candidate for governor, said charges against a girlfriend ‘would be taken care of’

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who is running as a law-and-order candidate in the GOP primary for Illinois governor, last year told a then-girlfriend that charges against her from an arrest “would be taken care of,” reports the Chicago Tribune, citing a police report.

Laura Ayala-Clarke, the girlfriend at the time, was arrested after allegedly hitting a security guard at a marijuana store. The Tribune reports she was “charged with an ordinance violation for battery, a minor municipal charge.”

The news threatens to “dent the image he is trying to cultivate through a relentless, tough-on-crime ad campaign,” the newspaper reports. [Chicago Tribune]

There could be more to this story. Rich Miller of Capitol Fax wrote today that he’s seen video of what happened at the marijuana store.

Ayala-Clarke “was pummeled, pepper sprayed and dragged,” he wrote. “The video made me sick to my stomach. There’s no excuse for that. Security guards don’t have nearly the same authority as police officers, but this would’ve been wrong if the cops had done something similar, which they didn’t. They appeared to handle the situation in a calm manner.” [Capitol Fax]

2. Chicago police shot and seriously wounded an unarmed teenager. Here’s what we know so far.

An unarmed 13-year-old was shot by police last night in the Austin neighborhood, the Chicago Sun-Times reports, citing law enforcement sources.

The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

No shots were fired at the officers and no weapon was recovered, a law enforcement source told the Sun-Times.

In a preliminary statement, the Chicago Police Department said the boy was shot after he jumped out of a car and began running. The car was allegedly connected to a carjacking, according to the statement.

The shooting is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

The shooting happened a little over a year after a Chicago police officer shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo as he ran from police in Little Village. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Amid a debate over teen curfews and violence, Chicago Public Schools pushes to get more students into summer programs

School district officials say their priority right now is connecting students with summer programs as a debate rages over Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s new, restrictive policies for teenagers, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

“We’re taking this very seriously,” Bogdana Chkoumbova, CPS’s education chief, told the Sun-Times. “Our kids are not to blame for everything that is going on. We definitely want to engage them because they’re looking for social opportunities after two very tough years.”

CPS’s summer programs can be found on this online dashboard and interactive map. Lightfoot also yesterday unveiled “My CHI. My Future,” a mobile app that can connect teens to summer programs, events and jobs. And there is One Summer Chicago, which also helps students find summer jobs. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, a City Council committee tomorrow morning is expected to consider Lightfoot’s 10 p.m. citywide curfew for minors, providing an early glimpse into how much political support is behind the mayor’s proposal. [WBEZ]

4. A recession could be in store for the next year

More and more economists and banks are worried the U.S. is heading toward a recession, reports The Washington Post.

The thinking here is that consumers (that’s you and me) will pull back on spending their money amid rising prices from inflation and higher borrowing costs from increasing interest rates.

Helping fuel this theory are disappointing sales reports from some of the nation’s biggest retailers, who are contending with higher prices and overstocked inventory.

“Recession risks are high — uncomfortably high — and rising,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “For the economy to navigate through without suffering a downturn, we need some very deft policymaking from the Fed and a bit of luck.” [Washington Post]

Stray thought: If a recession does hit in the next year, it could coincide with the opening of a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in downtown Chicago. [WBEZ]

5. Nick Cave may be the artist we need right now

His groundbreaking response to the 1991 police beating of Rodney King was the Soundsuit — a large-scale abstract costume that allowed him to hide.

Now, in a major show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Nick Cave takes a full swing at the country’s current trauma, my colleagues Cassie Walker Burke and Manuel Martinez report.

Among the work on display at the MCA is an installation that began with a question that struck Cave after he learned about the death of yet another Black man, Michael Brown, at the hands of police in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.

“Is there racism in heaven?,” the artist asked himself in his Chicago studio. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Nearly two in three Americans oppose overturning Roe v. Wade, a new poll finds. [NPR]
• A shuttered baby formula factory could be reopened as soon as next week, the head of the FDA told lawmakers today. [AP]
• Illinois and 13 other states had significant miscounts in the 2020 census. [NPR]
• A tie-in with the Monopoly board game spoils what’s in store for the upcoming season of Stranger Things. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

Speaking of Stranger Things, I told my husband last night the new season is out at the end of the month. And he told me I was on my own.

But I’m still kinda jazzed about it. Even with the news this week that the final episodes will each be the length of a movie. [A.V. Club]

Meanwhile, we finally have a trailer for the next season of The Umbrella Academy, which is out June 22. And it looks like the angsty heroes go toe-to-toe with another group of angsty heroes as reality falls apart. Sign me up. [The Verge]

Tell me something good …

This great weather has me itching to read outside. So, what’s a good book to read over the summer?

Susan Nerlove writes:

“I can’t recommend highly enough Amor Towles’s The Lincoln Highway. I was drawn in from the beginning, couldn’t stop reading and consequently lost sleep — something that hasn’t happened for me in a long time! Towles is the author of the 2016 novel A Gentleman in Moscow, also a great book. Look forward to seeing the other recommendations you receive!”

Jen Gates tweets:

“I highly recommend The School for Good Mothers by @jessaminechan for a great summer read. I finished it last week and cannot stop thinking about it. Very compelling and keeps you on your toes! I got my copy from @wcfbook.”

And Ann Doemland writes:

“An oldie but goodie — The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. Read it on a really hot day, and the passage about crossing a glacier will make you feel chilly.”

What’s a good book to read this summer? Hit me up and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.